[TusharK]

Maruti Suzuki has confirmed that the eVX electric SUV will debut by the end of this year. It will be the brand’s first pure-electric offering and will be manufactured at its Gujarat plant.



Toshihiro Suzuki, President of Suzuki Motor Corp, made this announcement while addressing the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024. “The first battery electric vehicle from Suzuki Global will be rolled out from Suzuki Motor Gujarat by the end of this year. We plan to sell this model not only in India, but export to Japan and European countries,” Suzuki said.

The eVX will be based on Toyota's 40PL skateboard architecture. The SUV measures 4.3 meters in length and has a wheelbase of 2.7 meters. It uses a 60 kWh battery pack that is said to offer a maximum range of around 550 km.



Maruti Suzuki also plans to expand its EV line-up with the introduction of an electric hatchback. This entry-level EV is likely to be based on the eWX concept that was showcased at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.

According to media reports, the eWX-based electric hatchback will be based on the all-new K-EV skateboard architecture and will spawn a range of compact EVs. Maruti will try to achieve high levels of localization to make it cost-effective.

Maruti’s affordable electric hatchback will be aimed at first-time EV buyers. It is being touted as a rival to the Tata Tiago.ev.

Source: Autocar India

Link to Team-BHP news

[shankar.balan]

40 years ago they helped bring 4 wheeled mobility to the mass-market consumers in India, revolutionizing personal transport. Considering this article and their stated committment to the EV space, I am sure they will be able to take Electric Powered Vehicles as an ‘Alternate -Fuelled’ Mobility Solution to the mass-market consumer yet again, thus creating an electrifying revolution. I wish them luck on this journey. And I suppose, if this Electric Battery Powered SUV and the small car are predictable and good products as Maruti’s usually are, they will drive EV adoption forward like nothing else.
The flip-side is only whether our Electricity Grid Systems can handle all that inevitable load. Especially in rural areas and Tier 2 and 3 towns where there are so many power cuts.
But then, if anyone can take the plunge and change the mass-mindset, then it is only Maruti and Hyundai.

[guptad42]

Will it be the first 'native-electric' skateboard EV made in India? i.e. not a conversion from an ICE platform.

1. Suzuki learnt from WagonR EV trials that they need a new BEV platform to bring out all the EV benefits with the right space, packaging and cost structures. Hope they get it right. We need the mass marketers like Suzuki in the EV game, because they will chase volumes and it can help grow the EV supplier ecosystem as well as consumer acceptance of EVs. Suzuki India product managers have repeatedly proven their understanding of what sells in the Indian market, and recently across price segments, though I personally hate their insistence on making unsafe cars.

2. My main worry is their management and partnerships. Suzuki India bosses have openly expressed their anti-EV views, and lobbied against EVs with the govt. Their main partner Toyota still does not know how to make a competitive pure BEV. If the EVX works, it'll be the first successful BEV from Toyota+. Lack of leadership conviction and EV culture has proven to be the biggest obstacle for legacy carmakers in producing competitive EVs.

3. The Indian GST structure has a massive incentive for Brezza/Creta class vehicles as the petrol variants face 40-45% tax vs 5% on EVs. Several states also have roadtax and registration benefits amounting to anther 5-7%. If a carmaker is willing to price aggressively for high volumes, it should be possible to price (on-road) EVs in this category close to their ICE competition.

4. Their marketing also gets some leeway in establishing positioning. The super comfort and silence of an EV (and low speed zippiness) should allow positioning against a higher-end petrol vehicle without being held back by the price of its own petrol sibling. Smoother than a ...

5. I also like that Suzuki is planning exports to make the project financials work. Tata and Mahindra did not really have the option for sizeable EV exports so far, because their current EV products are not at all competitive in export markets. The future Mahindra BE and Tata Gen3 will have that chance theoretically but will need to own large-scale battery supplies to make it work at scale.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by guptad42

Will it be the first 'native-electric' skateboard EV made in India? i.e. not a conversion from an ICE platform.

---

First to note is the EVs will be launched in Europe and Japan before making its Indian debut.

- Almost 70-80 percent of the upcoming eVX SUV will be exported.

And on the EV platform.

- Maruti-Suzuki's EV strategy; No ICE-derived EVs, but two bespoke platforms one jointly developed with Toyota and the other developed in-house to spawn EVs in multiple segments (hatchbacks, MPVs, SUVs) and multiple price points.


Link:

Link:

[DRPSREDDY]

Originally Posted by guptad42

Will it be the first 'native-electric' skateboard EV made in India? i.e. not a conversion from an ICE platform.

5. I also like that Suzuki is planning exports to make the project financials work. Tata and Mahindra did not really have the option for sizeable EV exports so far, because their current EV products are not at all competitive in export markets. The future Mahindra BE and Tata Gen3 will have that chance theoretically but will need to own large-scale battery supplies to make it work at scale.

BORN-ELECTRIC instead of 'native-electric' has become the standard word for exclusive EV platforms.

The new platform Activ.EV from TATA motors and INGLO from Mahindra are already undergoing vigorous testing across India. The first vehicle from TATA on the all new Born Electric EV platform has already hit the stores. TATA has already inaugurated it's exclusive EV plant in Sanand and rolled out the first product Nexon EV. Nexon EV was spotted undergoing testing in New Zealand. TATA motors research centre in UK too is testing the electric technology. Mahindra too is making great strides in Chennai, Italy and MADE UK centres. Construction on TATA battery assembly plant is to begin soon.

Advantage Maruti Suzuki has over the other was the compact and small petrol engines that are zippy and fuel efficient. We need to see how will it translate to advantage as Maruti Suzuki cars were never crash worthy and are Tin Cans. EV demands crash safety as the battery pack needs protection in case of a collision, and how much advantage can Maruti have over others. Japanese brands are the ones those are resisting EVs and are reluctant to roll out cars.

Both Indian manufacturers are on roll and will set the roads on fire very soon with GEN 2 and Skateboard platforms. Maruti is way behind with the first car rolling out in end of 2024, that means deliveries will start from Jan 2025. Lets see how quick will Maruti -Toyota make it to the market.

[guptad42]

Originally Posted by DRPSREDDY

BORN-ELECTRIC instead of 'native-electric' has become the standard word for exclusive EV platforms.

...

Advantage Maruti Suzuki has over the other was the compact and small petrol engines that are zippy and fuel efficient. We need to see how will it translate to advantage as Maruti Suzuki cars were never crash worthy and are Tin Cans. EV demands crash safety as the battery pack needs protection in case of a collision, and how much advantage can Maruti have over others. Japanese brands are the ones those are resisting EVs and are reluctant to roll out cars.

- Suzuki took Fiat-Tata's 1.3L diesel engine and converted it into an enormous success, way beyond what the engine's original maker could do with it.
- Honda also makes a small efficient 1.2L petrol engine. Couldn't achieve sales anywhere close to their aspiration.

Let's give credit where it is due. It takes much more than just the engine to get the car right for a market.

[DRPSREDDY]

Originally Posted by guptad42

- Suzuki took Fiat-Tata's 1.3L diesel engine and converted it into an enormous success, way beyond what the engine's original maker could do with it.
- Honda also makes a small efficient 1.2L petrol engine. Couldn't achieve sales anywhere close to their aspiration.

Let's give credit where it is due. It takes much more than just the engine to get the car right for a market.

My discussion here was not about credits but about the playing field. Maruti Suzuki and Honda were known for petrol powertrains. Now electric has put them on a level playing field. They don't have the first movers advantage nor technologically advanced company except being the undisputed sales king of the country with the largest sales and service network. This is the time of test where leadership race may show variations. This decade will be exciting to see who fares better ahead.

They played with light weight low safety zippy cars. But with safety testing, consumer demands, and shifts in segments, weight will be a factor and fun to drive will be lost. High powered engines will loose the value quotient and bump down profits.

[volkman10]

Maruti Suzuki's EV and other cars product plan,

[electric_eel]

I hope the stick to the EV promise. A Maruti getting into the EV space is very much needed to increase the EV penetration.

[volkman10]

Maruti Poolkar, Charge Hub, Smart Charge – Names registered ahead of their electric car launch.

Maruti Poolkar - is likely to be used for a car pool service. Maruti could start the service in collaboration with a technology partner.

Charge Hub- The Charge Hub could have two or more charging points at the same location. These could be installed at locations such as shopping malls, offices, highway rest areas and various other public places.

Smart Charge- The Smart Charge could be standalone charging points that could be installed at various locations such as retail shops or roadside parking areas









Link:

[Abhinav_2502]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Maruti Poolkar, Charge Hub, Smart Charge – Names registered ahead of their electric car launch.

Attachment 2574582

Attachment 2574583

Attachment 2574584

This seems like Maruti is looking at establishing their own fast charging station similar to the likes of the Tesla Supercharger network before the launch of the SUV. This could be big news with the kind of dealer network Maruti has if they are able to get each dealer to join in to the network. A well spread out dedicated charging network will definitely be an advantage for the new launch.

Could be an even bigger win for the EV market if Maruti follows Tesla in opening up the network to cars from all manufacturers.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Maruti Poolkar, Charge Hub, Smart Charge – Names registered ahead of their electric car launch.

Maruti Poolkar - is likely to be used for a car pool service. Maruti could start the service in collaboration with a technology partner.

Charge Hub- The Charge Hub could have two or more charging points at the same location. These could be installed at locations such as shopping malls, offices, highway rest areas and various other public places.

Smart Charge- The Smart Charge could be standalone charging points that could be installed at various locations such as retail shops or roadside parking areas

This is the advantage Maruti has against other players. Maruti can leverage it's wide sales and service network to build EV charging ecosystem much quicker than any other player.
I only hope that Maruti keep it open for other EVs as well.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Let’s hope better sense prevails and they use the industry standard CCS2/Type2 charging ports, instead to having something proprietary. Tesla style superchargers are not the answer for India, neither are chargers at every dealerships. We need chargers at every food joint on highways and expressways, and this is already happening on account of customer demand.

[volkman10]

Suzuki's eWX at the Bangkok Motor Show,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWN8cDbbyjk

[PreludeSH]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Let’s hope better sense prevails and they use the industry standard CCS2/Type2 charging ports, instead to having something proprietary. Tesla style superchargers are not the answer for India, neither are chargers at every dealerships. We need chargers at every food joint on highways and expressways, and this is already happening on account of customer demand.

It will be tricky in India. Parking spaces for charging will be very difficult in our cities. 2 wheelers are a different story. Hope the hotels, food joints on highways will have the chargers. Even Malls within the city will have issues supporting many cars at a time without also charging parking fees in addition to charging